Joshua Gilbert (swimmer)

Joshua Donald Gilbert (born 9 June 2001) is a New Zealand swimmer ^[1] specializing in breaststroke.

Swimming career

Gilbert began swimming at a young age under Clive Wheeler at Stratford Flyers swimming club in Taranaki, New Zealand. Gilbert later joined Evolution Aquatics Tauranga before becoming one of the first swimmers to join Club 37 ^[2] in Auckland, New Zealand.

Gilbert was a highly successful junior swimmer ^{[3] [4] [5]} medaling in age-group state and national championships in New Zealand and Australia and setting multiple regional and national age-group records as a junior swimmer. ^{[6] [7] [8] [9]} Gilbert is a multiple national champion and has achieved multiple clean-sweeps in the breaststroke events at the New Zealand short-course and long-course Championships. ^{[10] [11] [12]}

Gilbert represents New Zealand at international competitions ^{[13] [14]} including the 2022 FINA short-course World Championships in Melbourne, Australia and the 2023 FINA World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan where he was part of relay teams setting national records. In Melbourne, Gilbert swam in the breaststroke legs for the 4 x 100m and 4 x 50m medley relays, with both teams swimming New Zealand record times. In Fukuoka, Gilbert swam the breaststroke leg of the 4 x 100m mixed medley relay, with the team again setting a New Zealand record with a time of 3:49.26. ^[15]

On 21 August 2024 Gilbert set the New Zealand short-course record for 200m breaststroke in a time of 2:04.57, ^[16] a record previously held by Glenn Snyders since 2008.

On 23 August 2024 Gilbert set the New Zealand short-course record for 100m breaststroke in a time of 57.57, ^[17] a record previously held by Glenn Snyders since 2014. In his post-race interview Gilbert stated he had been present as a 13-year-old in Wellington, New Zealand to witness Snyders set the record he had just taken from him. ^[18]

Citations

1. dale493 (2024-08-20). "Gilbert & Gasson Star On Day One". Swimming NZ. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
2. "Debut meet for Club37 at the 2023 New Zealand Open Championships". www.c37.club. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
3. Finer, Petra (15 December 2011). "Swim star eyes Olympics". South Taranaki Star. Stuff. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
4. "Golden boy Gilbert wins again". Taranaki Daily News. Stuff. 8 December 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
5. "Knights of the Pool". South Taranaki Star. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2024– via PressReader.
6. "Stratford teenager grabs third victory in Queensland swim championships". archive.swimming.org.nz. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
7. "Record smasher - Stratford Press News". NZ Herald. 2015-04-21. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
8. "Two medals in day one of Australian Age Champs". archive.swimming.org.nz. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
9. Hills, Murray (22 April 2015). "Gilbert's Sydney trip full of milestones". Taranaki Daily News. Retrieved 27 December 2024– via PressReader.
10. agm-minutes_25-june-2022.pdf (evolutionaquatics.co.nz)
11. Writer, Matthew De George-Senior (2024-04-13). "NZ Swimming Championships: Taiko Torepe-Ormsby Blasts 50 Free Record for Paris Ticket". Swimming World News. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
12. "Two records and two medals for Taranaki swimmers at champs". Taranaki Daily News. Stuff. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
13. "New Zealand at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships", Wikipedia, 2024-02-15, retrieved 2024-10-19
14. "PERFORMANCE & COAHING | Swimming New Zealand". Swimming NZ. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
15. New Zealand 4x100m Mixed Medley Team Smashes NZ Record at World Aquatics Championships | Sportzhub
16. Race, Retta (2024-08-21). "Joshua Gilbert Downs New Zealand Record In Men's SCM 200 Breast". SwimSwam. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
17. Race, Retta (2024-08-23). "Joshua Gilbert Lowers New Zealand Record In SCM 100 Breast". SwimSwam. Retrieved 2024-08-24.
18. Swimming New Zealand (2024-08-12). Session Eight | 2024 Apollo Projects New Zealand Short Course Swimming Championships . Retrieved 2024-08-23– via YouTube.